1775: Paul Revere makes his famous ride from Lexington to Concord, Massachusetts, warning his fellow colonials that the British “redcoats” have landed.
1906: An earthquake, followed by fire, destroys most of San Francisco, killing 3000 people.
1923: The first baseball game is played in Yankee Stadium. The Yankees defeat the Boston Red Sox 4-1.
1946: The League of Nations dissolves.
1949: On Easter Monday, Eire withdraws from the British Commonwealth and becomes the Republic of Ireland.
1954: Gamal Abdal Nasser seizes power in Egypt.
1970: The first Earth Day is held, a nationwide observance promote environmental awareness.
1980: Rhodesia gains independence from Great Britain and becomes the nation of Zimbabwe.
1983: The US Embassy in Beirut is destroyed by a suicide bomber.
2002: A new order of insects Mantophasmatodea is announced.

Born on this day:
Clarence Darrow, attorney who defended John Scopes in the “Monkey Trial” (1857)
James Woods, actor (1947)
Rick Moranis, comedian (1954)
Conan O'Brien, talk show host (1963)

Died on this day:
Ernie Pyle, American war correspondent (1945)
Albert Einstein, Nobel Prize-winning physicist (1955)
Ben Hecht, screenwriter and playwright (1964)

© 2004 NYC24, a production of the New Media Workshop at the Columbia University Graduate School of Journalism.